U.S. Vice President JD Vance, along with envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are expected to meet with Iranian officials in Islamabad, Pakistan, as early as this week, according to a Pakistani source.
Pakistan Positions Itself as Mediator
The potential summit follows a call between President Donald Trump and Pakistan’s army chief, Gen. Asim Munir. Pakistani officials have reportedly been passing messages between Tehran and both Witkoff and Kushner, as previously reported by the Financial Times.
Pakistan, which does not host U.S. military bases, is seen as a neutral intermediary in the region, having not been targeted by Iran during the recent conflict. This position has allowed Islamabad to present itself as a central mediator to help end the war, sources told the Financial Times.
Israeli Concerns Over US Stance
Israeli officials are reportedly concerned that Trump may not fully uphold stated U.S. red lines in talks with Iran and could accept any outcome that allows him to declare victory.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Vance on Tuesday and received a briefing on the contacts between Washington and Tehran. U.S. officials have indicated to Israel that Washington intends to maintain red lines aligned with Israel’s positions: removal of enriched uranium from Iran, halting its nuclear program, restoring intrusive inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency, limiting Iran’s ballistic missile program – with a U.S. demand for a five-year freeze – and ending support for militant groups.
Trump is also reportedly insisting on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and having a role in overseeing it.
Iran has raised demands including guarantees against attack, the closure of U.S. bases in the region, and compensation for damage from strikes. Iranian officials have indicated a willingness to dilute enriched uranium stockpiles but oppose relinquishing the right to enrichment.
Israeli officials have expressed skepticism that Tehran would agree to these terms, viewing them as a surrender, and question Trump’s optimism about progress despite Iran’s denials of any agreements.
Netanyahu dispatched his close adviser Ron Dermer to Washington over the weekend to try to influence the emerging agreement and ensure it addresses Israel’s concerns.
U.S. officials say Trump is allowing the talks to proceed, led by Vance, Witkoff, and Kushner. A direct conversation between Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is also under consideration.
Iranian Official Issues Warning
Senior Iranian official Mohsen Rezaee, recently appointed military adviser to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, responded to Trump’s previous threat to strike Iran’s electrical infrastructure.
“This time it will not be an eye for an eye, but a head for an eye, and you will leave the Gulf,” Rezaee said. He added that the war will continue until Iran receives compensation for all losses, all economic sanctions are lifted, and receives international legal guarantees that Washington will not interfere in its affairs.
Rezaee also claimed that “a deep rift between the United States and Israel will emerge soon,” amid ongoing contacts between Washington and Tehran.
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